


Survive and Thrive

by TVTime



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Bathing, Bathing/Washing, Blizzards & Snowstorms, Caves, Confident Liam, Developing Relationship, Forests, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Good Theo Raeken, Hot Springs, Hurt/Comfort, LIam's POV, M/M, Mountaineering, Mountains, Nudity, Sharing Body Heat, Sharing a Bed, Situationally Shy Theo, Snow, Survival, Theo Has Feelings, Theo Raeken Needs a Hug, Thiam, Thiam Week, Thiam Week 2017, Trust, Wilderness, Wilderness Survival, Winter, packmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-09
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-15 19:48:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13620477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TVTime/pseuds/TVTime
Summary: Liam awakes in the frozen wilderness with no idea where he is or how he got there. Soon he is reunited with an equally disoriented Theo, and the two discover a warm, well-stocked cave. If they work together they’ll be able to survive their ordeal, and if they trust each other, they may even thrive.“Who’s cave is this?”Theo grinned. “Ours.”Liam frowned. “Someone spent a lot of time setting this up.”“Clearly.”“So where are they?”Theo turned and walked back to the main part of the cave, leaving Liam to hobble after him. “Maybe they only use it for camping during summer or spring.”“And our backpacks, where did those come from?”Theo growled and raised his hands in front of the campfire. “Look, I don’t know, Liam.”





	Survive and Thrive

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to post this as a short story/novella all in one chapter...but it’s meant to be winter-themed and winter is rapidly escaping, so I thought I’d better release the first chapter. I’m anticipating roughly 3-4 parts and 18-24k words total...but breaking it up like this probably means it’s going to get longer than I planned. 
> 
> Since I’m still working on Thiam Week (LOL from 4 months ago back in Oct 2017), let’s call this my story for the ‘Friends to Lovers’ theme.

Awareness buffeted Liam’s body like an icy blast of wind…exactly like an icy blast of wind. He groaned and opened his eyes. Frigid air assaulted his delicate corneas as an endless, cloudless expanse of glaring blue filled his field of vision. He turned his head and surveyed a not-so-endless expanse of powdery white. Snow. He was lying in a snowy clearing, the edge of which was dotted with leafless bushes, their long, scraggly branches reaching up like bony fingers to caress the evergreen trees that towered over them. The rear of the clearing was framed by an outcrop of ragged, rocky walls and steep, mountainous passes. 

Liam groaned and climbed to his feet, trying to get a sense of where he was and how he had gotten there. He was wearing thick winter clothes: the hooded interior of a fluff-lined blue parka pillowed his neck, ears, and cheeks; thick pants covered his legs; black gloves protected his fingers; and heavy hiking boots cushioned his feet from the cold, hard ground. He wiggled and shook as he brushed snow from his body, pleased he was still dry and evidently hadn’t been lying in the snow long enough to melt it with his body heat. 

A massive, mountaineering backpack sat on the ground beside where he had lain. The bag consisted of a sleek, black material, perhaps nylon or some other waterproof fabric. Its weight surprised Liam as he slung it over his shoulder. An unconditioned human would have struggled with it.

“Hello?!” He turned in a slow circle. “Is anybody there?!”

The skin on the back of his neck twitched beneath the parka and a thrill of relief warmed his chest as a rumbling, anamalistic howl pierced the higher pitched, echoing howl of the wind. His wolf yipped in recognition, and he instinctively threw his head back and bellowed an answering call.

Theo responded with a second howl of his own, and it was enough for Liam to get a bead on his location: the side of the mountain, past a snow-covered rise and around a bend in the sheer wall of rock.

He took off at a sprint but slipped and stumbled before the long, thick treads of his boots dug into the snow and he managed to right himself. In a few more strides his senses had adjusted to running on the dense, crunchy terrain, and he didn’t stop until he reached the summit of the hillside. The mountain loomed over him to the left and the forest to the right. He howled again and Theo howled back, helping him get his bearings. Theo was close, and definitely along the mountainside and not in the forest.

Another hundred or so feet and a second twist around the craggy outcrop, and a figure appeared beside the trunk of a pine tree. A howl and a flash of gold in the distance confirmed the figure’s identity as Theo. His parka was black, and there was no sign of a bulging backpack over his shoulders like the one Liam wore as he sprinted to him. 

“Theo!” Liam panted and gripped the other boy’s padded elbows to steady himself. Even with his werewolf physiology the run through the dense snow in full gear with only cold, thin air to breathe had winded him.

“Liam.” Theo squeezed Liam’s arms and an excited grin split his face before he let go and schooled his countenance back into a neutral expression.

“Where are we?”

Theo frowned and shook his head. “I don’t know. I thought you would.”

A hard gust of cold, wet wind slapped Liam’s face as he opened his mouth to speak. He looked up. It was starting to snow.

“Come on.” Theo tugged Liam closer to the mountain.

“Where are we g–” The question died on Liam’s lips as he spied a narrow opening in the rockface.

Theo sidled in first and held out his arms. “Pass me your bag.”

Liam shrugged off his backpack and pushed it against the mouth of the cave. It was a tight fit and required the boys to turn it on its end and shove it bottom-to-top through the widest part of the opening. The weather intensified, and by the time they were done, snow tumbled relentlessly over Liam’s hood and onto his face as he squeezed sideways through the narrow gap. Rocks pushed and prodded his chest and ass, making their presence known even through his thick, cushioned coat. 

He sighed with surprised delight as he looked around. The cave was roughly the size of a living room, but with a ceiling high enough to disappear into the black shadows, leaving its true height a mystery. A long pool of pristine water with steam rising from it occupied one corner of the cave, and in the center of the chamber sat a wide, stone-encircled campfire with a large stalactite hanging over it and disappearing into the shadowy ceiling.

“I think that’s an improvised flue,” Theo said, tracking Liam's gaze. “It's hollow and the smoke and fumes seem to be wafting into it.”

“Wow, you built all this?” Liam asked, flipping his hood back.

“No, of course not. I just woke up over there a few minutes ago.” Theo pointed toward the dimly lit rear of the cave where a mass of blankets lay. “I only had time to investigate the fire and the hot spring. Then I heard you shouting. I _barely_ heard you shouting.”

Liam frowned. Theo had gotten to wake up in a warm cave on a makeshift bed, while he had been left sprawled out on the snow. He shook his head, clearing it. It didn't matter, at least not right now. “We better see if anyone else from the pack is around.”

Liam went to the mouth of the cave and howled through the opening. Theo gave him a dull look but joined in after a few moments. 

“It’s no use.” Theo elbowed Liam’s arm. “Now that the storm’s kicked up they could be right outside and not hear us.”

“You’re right.” Liam tugged the hood back over his head and tightened the flaps as he stepped into the opening.

Theo grabbed his shoulder. “Whoa, what are you doing?” 

“I have to go look for them.”

“In a blizzard?”

“Yeah, exactly.” Liam frowned at him and pushed his hand away. “Scott and Malia would probably be okay if they found some kind of shelter, but what about Mason, or Corey, or Lydia? They could be freezing to death right this moment.”

“Or they could be back in Beacon Hills drinking hot chocolate and having a movie night.”

“I hope so.” Liam shrugged and angled his body into the opening. 

“You’re an idiot!” Theo grabbed his arm and held him back. “You’ll get lost if you go out in that.”

“Listen for my howl.” Liam yanked himself free and slipped through the crack. 

He turned and ran along the side of the mountain in the unexplored direction, reasoning that if anyone in the pack were back where he had come from he would have already found them, and if they were in the forest then they could be just about anywhere and he wouldn’t be able to find them. When he reached a fork in the path, he veered left onto the route that would take him deeper into the mountains. 

“Mason?! Scott?! Is anyone here?!” 

Sleet whipped Liam’s face and billowed into the lining of his hooded parka. He shivered and cursed himself for not securing the hood properly as icy precipitation trickled over his shoulder and down his back. It was impossible to see further than about twenty feet in the thick snowfall, and even with his heightened senses he was unable to detect anything that wasn’t storm or nature related.

“Corey?! Lydia?! Hello?!”

The trail morphed from a gradual incline into a steep rise, and Liam had to crouch and grip the slick rocks with his gloved fingers to keep from slipping. It was a relief when a ledge with a shallow overhang appeared to his left. He edged off the path and pressed himself against the cliff. He was shaking from the cold and the gloves were affecting his dexterity; he couldn’t risk climbing higher until the snowstorm abated. 

“Malia?! Scott?! Mason?!”

It was no use. The wind stole their names the instant he uttered them. He had to do better. He grabbed the rock wall and tipped his head back. His howl was swallowed by the storm, but unlike his shouts it reverberated silently in all directions like a supernatural shockwave. If they were nearby, they would _feel_ his call even if they couldn't hear it.

He was still howling as he turned his head and took a step further along the ledge, hoping to increase his area of influence. 

It was a mistake. 

A hard gust of wind blew him off balance and the unfamiliar treads of his boot clattered against the narrow ledge at the wrong angle. He tried to catch himself with his other foot, but it was already too near the edge and the jerking motion caused it to slip out from under him.

He banged his chin against the ledge as he fell, but managed to grip the rockface with scrabbling fingers. He howled again – or maybe he hadn’t stopped – and his plaintive call echoed through the frosty air as he clutched at the shifting rock, the creaking rock, the crumbling rock. _Oh god,_ it couldn’t support his weight. 

He looked down.

He wasn’t as high as he had feared, maybe thirty or forty feet. He should be able to survive if he– 

His stomach lurched into his throat, and his feet switched places with his ears as the ledge gave way and he hurtled toward the snow-covered rocks. He needed to protect his head. He needed to– 

His back and legs exploded in a crescendo of pain, and his arms crunched between his skull and the jagged, unyielding ground. Even cushioned by his arms, the blow to his head was too much. Everything went numb, and black spots joined the white flurries whizzing in front of his face. They grew into giant black snowflakes as he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Awareness trailed across Liam’s body like fingers across his skin...exactly like fingers across his skin. He groaned and opened his eyes. Cool air and warm yellow light bathed his sensitive eyes as he stared up at Theo’s smirking face. He was back in the cave, lying under the blankets with Theo sitting beside him leaching pain from his throbbing arms.

“What are...you…doing?” Liam’s throat was dry and cracked.

The corner of Theo’s mouth twitched and his eyebrows rose. “Practicing.” He didn’t let go of Liam’s arm as he reached back with his other hand and grabbed a tin cup. “Here.” 

Liam raised his head, and Theo pressed the cold metal to his lips. The water was icy but refreshing, and as the frigid sting eased from Liam’s throat, so too did the dry ache. “Thanks.”

“For the water or for saving your ass?” Theo’s words were accompanied by a burn in Liam’s bones as Theo released Liam’s arm and folded his own across his chest. He had taken off his bulky black parka and was wearing a long-sleeve gray shirt. “I told you not to go out in that storm, but you wouldn't listen. And I almost broke _my_ back carrying you to the cave. Getting you inside was a fucking ordeal.”

Liam winced and sat up, letting the soft, thick blankets fall away from his chest. He was wearing an aqua green tee with a white thermal shirt underneath. His sleeves were pushed up where Theo had touched his skin and eased the pain. “No one asked you to help.”

Theo blinked at him and set the tin cup against the rock floor behind him with a noisy clatter. “You _howled_ for help, dumbass.”

“Oh well...” Liam ran a hand through his hair. “That was just instinct.”

“So was answering,” Theo muttered.

Liam shifted his hips, surprised at how soft and warm the ground felt beneath him. He slid a hand under the blankets and gasped as he rubbed the space beside his thigh. 

“It’s a mattress.” Theo leaned closer and smoothed the blankets. “This is a nice cave, and we have plenty of supplies too. Feel up for a tour?”

Liam was still dizzy and everything hurt. He wanted to close his eyes and go back to sleep.

“Sure.”

Theo stood and held down his hand for Liam. They gripped each other’s forearms and Theo hauled him to his feet, catching him as the mattress threw him off balance and he stumbled forward. He was in thick socks and the same heavy pants as before. His blue parka was sprawled out at the foot of the bed. He eyed it longingly, and after a moment Theo took the hint and stooped to get it for him. He draped it around Liam’s shoulders, and Liam snuggled into the warm, fluffy lining. 

“There’s a cool water spring there.” Theo nodded toward the trickle of water flowing in a thin strip down the wall and disappearing into a crevice in the ground. “And of course our hot spring over here.”

Liam hobbled beside Theo, still hanging onto his shoulder as they crossed the cave floor and stepped up to the long, shallow pool. The campfire in the center of the cave provided just enough light to see the smooth, dark stones beneath the clear, steaming water.

“You should have a soak in a little while. It’ll ease the ache in your bones and muscles. There’s even soap if you want to make it a bath.”

“Soap?”

Theo gestured toward the wall where Liam’s black mountaineering backpack from earlier sat beside a matching backpack in white. As large as the bags were, Liam wasn’t surprised one or both contained soap.

Theo crouched beside the hot spring, pushed his sleeve up, and dipped his hand into the water. “It feels like it’s flowing fast enough that it’ll clear out any soap or dirt we get in it.” 

Theo rose and they strolled to the campfire. 

“Are there any matches?” Liam asked. With the blankets and the radiant heat from the hot spring, they might not need the campfire as they slept, and Liam would rather not have it lit while they weren’t awake to tend it. However, they would certainly need to be able to relight it.

“No, but these rocks are flint.” Theo pointed to the rocks encircling the fire. “And there’s dry kindling in a pile in the back of the cave.” He pointed into the shadows. “I can restart the fire.”

“Are you sure?”

Theo glared at him. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

As they moved to the opposite corner of the cave from the bed, the floor rose at an incline, forming a small hill. At the top of the little hill was a pile of smooth stones arranged around a hole in the ground. Another spring, this one faster and thicker, flowed down the wall and disappeared into the cave floor. The lapping babble of water indicated this spring became an underground river as it flowed beneath the hole.

“What’s this?” Liam asked, pointing at the circle of smooth stones.

Theo snickered. “Our toilet.”

“What?!”

“I’m not going to teach you how to use it, Liam, but I’m sure you can figure it out.” Theo patted Liam’s back and gave him a roguish smile.

“Are you sure that’s what it’s for?”

“I’m sure that’s how we can use it.”

“What if it flows back into the hot spring, or into the cold spring beside the bed where you got the drinking water?” Relieving themselves in the cave would be more convenient and comfortable than going outside, but it wasn’t worth contaminating their water sources.

“It doesn’t flow that way,” Theo answered, angling his chin toward the cave wall in front of them. “You can tell just by listening. I think this one and the one by the bed are part of the same system, but this is downstream. The hot spring must be fed by a separate geothermal vent.”

Liam listened for a moment and nodded. Theo was right about the direction of the water flow. He frowned as something else occurred to him. “What about toilet paper?”

“We’re in luck, there are packs of it stacked up over there along with some other supplies.” He pointed in the same direction he had indicated before for the kindling. “We can even use the water flowing down the wall to wash our hands.”

“I don’t guess there’s a cell phone in those backpacks so we can check Instagram while we do our business?” Liam smirked at him. “Or you know, use it to call for help?”

Theo rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Afraid not.”

Their next stop was the furtherest recesses of the rear of the cave. Theo pulled a flashlight out of his pocket and shone it along the back wall. Beside the woodpile was a stack of canned goods, and beside that was a stack of several packs of toilet paper still wrapped in plastic. Next to the toilet paper was a wooden crate containing a few small pots, some tin plates, bowls, cups, a knife set, a few sets of eating utensils, a can opener, and several cartons of salt. A second crate contained lengths of rope, a pickaxe, shovel, hammer, saw, axe, machete, hunting knives, a couple of metal buckets, and various other tools and utility items.

Liam stared in disbelief at the cache of equipment and resources. “Who’s cave is this?” 

Theo grinned. “Ours.”

Liam frowned. “Someone spent a lot of time setting this up.”

“Clearly.”

“So where are they?”

Theo turned and walked back to the main part of the cave, leaving Liam to hobble after him. “Maybe they only use it for camping during summer or spring.”

“And our backpacks, where did those come from?”

Theo growled and raised his hands in front of the campfire. “Look, I don’t know, Liam.”

Liam stood beside him and eyed the hollow tube of rock that acted as a chimney. It had to have been carefully engineered and crafted. None of this made any sense. This cave was _too_ nice. “Are there any scents on the backpacks?”

“Ours are on the outside of yours; there weren’t any scents on the inside. And there were no scents in or on mine until I started going through it.”

“Wait, our own scents weren’t on the stuff inside our bags?”

“That’s what I just said.”

“How is that possible?”

Theo stared into the fire. “Someone must have worn gloves when they packed them.”

“Why?”

Theo shrugged and dropped his hands to his sides. “No idea.”

A chill that had nothing to do with the temperature ran down Liam’s spine. It wasn’t just the cave; someone had gone to a lot of trouble to set up this entire scenario. “And you don’t remember anything before waking up here?”

“No.” Theo frowned and cocked an eyebrow. “Do you?”

“No.” Liam sighed and left Theo standing by the fire as he returned to the bed and grabbed the black mountaineering backpack leaning against the cave wall. “So what’s inside this?”

“Clothes mostly,” Theo answered as he joined Liam, and they plopped down on the bed while Liam rifled through the bag.

Theo was right. The first thing Liam found was a stack of folded shirts. Beneath the shirts were a couple of pairs of pants, a stack of underwear, numerous pairs of socks, another pair of gloves, a light hoody, and even a pair of slippers. A second compartment contained bath towels and washcloths, and a pocket on the front held a set of sheets and pillowcases. Pockets on the sides held a pack of toothbrushes and several packs of deodorant, bars of soap, and tubes of toothpaste. A flashlight, some extra batteries, a canteen, a compass, a notebook, a couple of ink pens, and several granola bars were in a final inner compartment, completing the bag’s inventory. 

Liam eyed Theo’s backpack once he had finished going through his own, and Theo waved his hand dismissively, indicating Liam was free to check it out. It contained a similar set of items, but the clothes were more in line with Theo’s style and consisted of darker colors.

Liam shivered as another wave of discomfort rolled over him. “We have to figure out what’s going on – who’s behind this, and why.”

Theo smirked. “Gee, you think?”

“You really don’t know anything else about this?” Liam tried to keep the accusation out of his voice, more intent on gauging Theo’s reaction than putting him on the defensive.

“I _really_ don’t know anything else about this.” Theo’s eyes burned with anger and he smelled offended.

Liam shrugged. “Okay.” He unzipped the pocket of his bag that contained the soap and pulled out a bar. “I guess I’ll have that soak.” He glanced at the steaming hot spring in anticipation. His body still ached from the fall and despite his warm clothes and the relatively warm cave, there was a chill in his bones. 

The irritation faded from Theo’s face and he gripped Liam’s shoulder as he stood. “Go ahead. I’ll heat up dinner.”

“Dinner?”

Theo chuckled and nodded toward the back of the cave where the canned goods were stacked. “What are you in the mood for? I think I saw corn, spinach, green beans, and baked beans. There might be something else.”

“Corn I guess.”

Liam stripped out of his clothes and tossed them on the bed as Theo went to get the food and cooking equipment. 

“Eeeee!” He hopped from foot to foot on the cold stone floor as he scrambled to the hot spring and jumped in without hesitation. “Youch!”

“You okay?” Theo called from the back of the cave.

“It’s really hot!” Liam gritted his teeth and resisted the urge to jump back out as the water burned his skin. It was no hotter than a hot tub, and he was sure it was safe; it was simply a shock to his chilled system.

After about twenty seconds the hot water started to feel really good, and Liam sank down against the smooth stone floor of the pool. “Yeeee!”

“What?” Theo asked, returning with a pot full of corn in one hand, a stand for the pot tucked under his arm, and a second pot containing a can opener and can of baked beans in his other hand.

Liam giggled, his neck and head sticking out of the hot water but the rest of his body submerged. “My feet were used to the hot stones, but my ass wasn’t.”

Theo rolled his eyes and set the pots on the ground so he could setup the cooking stand over the fire. “Better watch your balls then.” 

Liam’s eyes widened and he immediately cupped his genitals and lifted everything up, closing his thighs to keep it that way. “Thanks man! That would have sucked.” He cringed just imagining it. “Good thing you were thinking about my balls!”

Theo exhaled sharply and turned his back to Liam as he grabbed the pot of cold corn and placed it on the stand to heat.

That was weird. Liam was just making a dumb joke. Why did Theo seem so self conscious?

“Hey Theo?”

“Hmm?” He didn’t turn around.

“I forgot the soap.”

“Guess you’ll just have to make it a soak and not a bath then.”

“Sure, I mean, if you want me to smell bad tonight.”

Theo growled.

Liam laughed. “Or you could maybe bring me the soap instead?” 

Theo sighed and shook the contents of the pot before going to the bed where Liam had left his bar of soap. He hadn’t looked directly at Liam once since returning to the campfire.

Liam was curious why Theo was acting this way. He didn’t expect Theo to gawk at him, but it was weird that he was making a point of not looking. When Theo brought him the soap, Liam made sure to stand as he took it, rising out of the water and exposing the entire front of his body.

Theo froze and locked eyes with Liam as he handed the soap to him. 

Liam smirked and took it, toying with the idea of ‘dropping it’ just to mess with Theo. 

Theo didn’t say anything as he went back to the campfire, once again facing away from Liam. After thinking it over, Liam understood. Theo hadn’t played any sports at school, and he had been with the Dread Doctors since he was a kid. He probably wasn’t used to seeing other guys naked.

Theo finished heating the corn while Liam took his bath. He covered it and set it near the fire before switching to the pot of baked beans. 

Liam tried not to snicker as he spoke. “Hey Theo?”

“What?” Theo’s voice was as cold as the snow outside.

“I forgot to get a towel.”

“Sucks to be you.”

“Couldja get me one?”

“No.”

“Why not?” Liam heard the lilt in his own voice.

“I’m busy.”

“Really? So you’re gonna make me walk across the cave naked?” Liam sniggered. Theo’s unexpected shyness about nudity was a lot of fun. “Oh I know! I’ll just come stand by the fire and drip dry.”

Theo growled and went to Liam’s backpack to get a towel. He shook it open and held it out for Liam as he turned his head and averted his gaze. 

Liam set the bar of soap beside the hot spring and climbed out. He grabbed one end of the towel and guided it around his shoulders.

Theo flinched and let go as his fingers grazed Liam’s back. “You want me to dry your ass for you too?”

Liam vigorously shook his head, flinging water from his hair into Theo’s face. “Nah, that’s a little personal, man. Don’t be weird.”

Theo gave him a dirty look and stormed back to the fire. 

Liam’s amusement helped fight the chill as he dried himself and scrambled back to his bag for clean clothes. He selected a fresh thermal shirt, a pair a thick gray sweatpants, socks, and the slippers. A knit skull cap completed his outfit. 

While Liam was dressing, Theo returned to the supply crate and got them spoons and napkins. They sat on the bed as they ate their food. 

“Thank you,” Liam mumbled after the second bite.

Theo shrugged. “It’s just canned corn.”

“I meant for coming to save me and” –Liam gave Theo a long look, unsurprised when he kept his head down and wouldn’t meet Liam’s eyes– “being nice.”

That got Theo’s attention. He raised his head, visibly surprised. He hid it quickly with a condescending smirk. “You’re more useful alive than dead for now.”

Liam smirked back. “ _Right._ ”

“So I take it you want to resume looking for the pack tomorrow morning?” Theo’s spoon clanked against the bottom of the pot as he ate. 

“Yeah, of course.” Liam would have skipped dinner and gone back out already if it hadn’t gotten dark. “We should go back up the mountain.”

Theo snorted. “Do you have a death wish or something?”

“We’ll bring climbing gear this time.” Liam motioned toward the crate of supplies obscured in the shadows at the back of the cave. “If we can get to the summit and howl, they’ll be able to sense us for miles around.”

“Fine, it’ll also provide a good vantage point for us to survey our surroundings and try to figure out where we are.”

“Yeah, that too.” Liam tilted his pot to concentrate the corn on one side for easier scooping.

“It’s cold. We might need to sleep in our coats.”

“Nah, I’m comfy now.” Liam ran a hand down his fleece-covered thigh and wiggled his toes in his snug socks and slippers. “Why dontcha take a bath before bed? That hot spring’s pretty awesome.”

Theo glanced across the cave toward the pool of steaming water then back at Liam. “Yeah okay.”

Once they were finished eating, Liam washed the pots and spoons in the flow of water from the nearby cold spring while Theo dawdled on the bed, going through his bag in an overly-meticulous manner. Liam bit back a laugh as he realized why.

“I guess I’ll go put this stuff back in the crate for tomorrow.” Liam said as he shook the water out of the pots.

The tension eased from Theo’s shoulders, and he all but sighed in relief. “Sounds good.”

Sure enough as soon as Liam walked away the rustle of Theo’s clothes and the grinding _zzzup_ of a zipper signaled that he was undressing.

By the time Liam returned to the bed, Theo was neck-deep in the hot spring and sticking to the shadowy side as far from the campfire as he could get. After a moment’s deliberation about whether or not he wanted to embarrass Theo by doing something like sitting beside the hot spring ‘for warmth’ and casually chatting with him while he bathed, Liam decided not to be a dick and slid under the covers. He lay on his side and faced away from Theo, giving him his privacy. 

Theo’s heart rate accelerated just enough to be noticeable as he climbed out of the water a few minutes later.

“Theo?”

“What?!” 

The towel flapped and Liam knew Theo was holding it out in front of himself for cover. 

Liam fought a chuckle by yawning and relaxed deeper against the pillow to indicate he wasn’t going to roll over. “Could you put out the fire before you get in bed?”

“Yeah, sure.” Theo dressed quickly. First the slide of fabric up his legs followed by the snap of a waistband indicated his underwear was on. Then a softer, heavier drag and a more muted thump of elastic broadcast that he had donned a pair of sweatpants. The less self-conscious flicking of sleeves and tug of cloth over his torso conveyed that he was now wearing a shirt. 

Liam slumped onto his back and giggled as Theo sat on the edge of the bed and pulled on a pair of socks. 

Theo went to the back of the cave for one of the metal buckets, filled it with water from the hot spring, and extinguished the campfire. Darkness flooded the chamber, mitigated only by the silver moonlight streaming in through the cave mouth and the golden glow of Theo’s eyes as he returned to bed.

“I just realized something strange,” Liam said as Theo settled in beside him.

“What?” Theo asked, keeping as much distance as he could from Liam on the small mattress. It wasn’t much. The boys’ shoulders brushed and would continue to do so until they rolled onto their sides.

“We don’t have any bats.”

“What?”

“There aren’t any bats in the cave, or mice, or _anything._ The only heartbeats are ours. It’s weird.”

Theo huffed out a sharp laugh. “So you’d be more comfortable in a cave filled with bats and mice?”

“I mean...it would be more natural.”

Theo sighed and rolled away, facing the outside of the bed. “I don’t think we’re in a typical cave, Liam.”

Liam hummed in reluctant agreement and turned in the opposite direction. “I guess not.”

They were silent for the rest of the night. Liam got the sense that Theo wanted him to fall asleep first, as though he didn’t trust Liam to be awake while he wasn’t. It made Liam want to stay up to spite him, and he did for a long time, but eventually he drifted off to the peaceful rhythm of Theo’s calm but wakeful breathing. It was okay, probably for the best. Unlike Theo, Liam wasn’t worried about sleeping beside his former enemy. Theo had carried Liam back to the cave while he was unconscious. If he had wanted to do something to Liam, that would have been his chance. It was even stranger than the lack of bats, but Liam felt completely safe sleeping next to Theo.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is greatly appreciated!
> 
> This chapter is of course primarily setup. Next chapter Liam and Theo go adventuring! 
> 
> Also, please note that Theo is intentionally more shy about nudity than his characterization in canon would seem to imply. There’s a specific reason for that and his behavior here _will_ be reconciled with his canon, ‘Hey look, Malia, it’s my dick’ behavior.


End file.
